The Best Women’s Backcountry Skis of 2024
This article originally appeared on Outside
This article was first published by SkiMag.com.
Maybe you're looking for a lightweight touring ski that will get you up and down before you clock in for work. Or maybe you're looking for a ski that will first and foremost shred backcountry pow but is light enough to get you up, up, and away. Whatever backcountry mission you have in mind, we have just the touring tools you're looking for, right here.
These women's-specific backcountry skis run the gamut, from narrow-waisted featherweights designed primarily for fast and light cardio missions to all-mountain skis that have undergone a little nip-tuck to make them light enough to get you far beyond the resort ropes. Can't decide what's most important to you--weight savings (narrower waist, lightweight construction) or performance (fatter waist, beefier materials)? Make like Goldilocks and choose something in the middle.
Looking for the best unisex backcountry skis of the year? You’ll find those here.
How We Test
Number of skis tested: 11
Number of testers: 12
Testing locations: Grand Teton National Park, Wyo., Teton Pass, Wyo., Hatcher Pass, Alaska, Snow King Mountain, Wyo., Little Cottonwood Canyon, Utah
Testing conditions: Deep powder, chalky windbuff, breakable crust, firm resort groomers, spring corn
Average age of tester: 29
Average height of tester: 5'9"
Average weight of tester: 155 lbs
We lucked out big time testing backcountry skis in the Tetons this winter, with record breaking snowfall that had us reaching for powder sticks more often than not. Our testers hit the skintrack for pre-work dawn patrols on Teton Pass and long alpine missions in Grand Teton National Park. Many were lucky enough to catch bottomless pow days, while others tested this year's crop of backcountry skis in variable conditions between storms.
Our test crew included a mix of nine-to-fivers, weekend warriors, and self-proclaimed ski bums who cranked out laps in search of lightweight skis that held their own in soft snow and variable conditions alike. The goal: To find the backcountry skis that demonstrated the best balance of uphill and downhill performance. Bonus testing days chasing storms in the Wasatch and a ski mountaineering trip to Hatcher Pass, Alaska rounded out a solid mix of playful pow skiing, steep couloirs, mellow meadow skipping, slarvy spring corn, and sidecountry laps.
Meet the Testers
Lily Krass
Age: 27 | Height: 5'8'' | Weight: 120 lbs
Krass is a freelance ski journalist based in Jackson, Wyoming with work featured in SKI, Powder Magazine, Freeskier, Teton Gravity Research, and Ascent Backcountry Snow Journal. She spends winters backcountry skiing in Grand Teton National Park and riding lifts at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, with the occasional trip to the Alps (for the food, obviously).
Molly Belk
Age: 29 | Height: 5'4" | Weight: 120 lbs
Molly is a skier, yoga instructor, and Spanish teacher who splits time between Jackson, Wyoming and Charlottesville, Virginia. She's an endurance machine (all smiles on hour 10 of a big mission), and has an uncanny gift for making variable snow look like hero pow.
Michelle Nicholson
Age: 38 | Height: 5'4'' | Weight: 145 lbs
Nicholson hails from Driggs, Idaho and is on the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort race/events team. When she's not working events for JHMR, you'll find her tearing up the bumps and extremes of Jackson Hole and Grand Targhee. She's a veteran gear tester who has tested skis for Powder and SKI.
The Reviews: Best Women's Backcountry Skis of 2024
Best for Soft Snow: Faction Agent 2X ($799)
Lengths (cm): 155, 163, 171
Dimensions (mm): 127-96-117
Radius (m): 15 (163)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,330 (163)
Pros: Versatility, Forgiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation
Faction's Agent 2X proved to be one of the most well-rounded women's-specific skis in our test, one that built our confidence on the skintrack as well as in any terrain we pointed it back down. "This ski is nimble and lightweight, yet can carve and hold up on firm snow," commented Jackson, Wyoming-based tester Molly Belk after skiing a mix of firm and chalky conditions in the Tetons. Testers found Versatility/Balance of Skills and Forgiveness to be two of the Agent 2X's many strong suits, walking the line of trustworthy yet still fun and playful while navigating a range of steep, technical skiing and meandering low-angle glades. If you're trying to charge, it could feel a little twitchy at mach speeds, which caused the ski to rank slightly lower in Stability at Speed. It wasn't anyone's top choice for deep-powder touring, although the wide shovel did allow it to float through soft snow better than some others we tested in the same size range. That being said, most testers agreed it was well worth the trade-off for a ski so agile and maneuverable in tight and more complex terrain.
Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.
Best for Steep Terrain: Black Crows Camox Freebird ($800)
Lengths (cm): 157, 164, 171, 178, 183, 188
Dimensions (mm): 134-95-113 (171)
Radius (m): 17 (171)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,425 (171)
Pros: Quickness, Responsiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Flotation
With its impressive size run ranging from 157 to 188 centimeters, the unisex Camox Freebird let more female testers get into the mix this year. At 95 millimeters underfoot, it's a bonafide steep ski, a balanced tool that seems to see no limits to what kind of terrain you can put it through. It's got a ton of spring and energy thanks to its poplar-and-paulownia core, something that testers were surprised to rank high in Playfulness. A short 17-meter turn radius and fair amount of taper allowed the Camox Freebird to feel very nimble and responsive, an intuitive ride that had our backs no matter what. "This is a really solid and reliable narrow touring ski, capable of smoothing out bumps and variable snow and inspiring confidence and grip in steep terrain," reported 5-foot-8 tester Lily Krass, who calls Wyoming's Tetons home.
Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.
Best For Fast and Light Missions: Volkl Rise Beyond 96 W ($750)
Lengths (cm): 156, 163, 170, 177
Dimensions (mm): 138-96-119
Radius (m): 16 (170)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,122 (156)
Pros: Responsiveness, Quickness
Cons: Crud Performance, Stability at Speed
Zippy and ready to take down big-vert days, Volkl's Rise Beyond 96 W is a balanced touring ski with a lightweight construction that takes the edge off long climbs. The medium-width 96-millimeter ski excels on spring corn missions and in areas that see a lot of low tide during the winter, but the 138-millimeter shovel surprised testers with its ability to surf through soft snow without too much effort. Volkl's multilayer wood core places harder beech in areas that need more power, like underfoot and near the sidewalls, and lighter and softer poplar throughout the rest of the ski. The result is a light set of planks with a poppy feel that has enough strength behind it to hold up to variable conditions. The Rise Beyond 96 W ranked high in Responsiveness and Quickness/Maneuverability, capable of transitioning through both tight trees and wide-open bowls. "This ski feels really easy and approachable--a breeze to make quick, energetic turns within confined terrain," said Krass.
Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.
Best One-Ski Quiver: Head Kore 97 W ($875)
Lengths (cm): 156, 163, 170, 177
Dimensions (mm): 131-97-118
Radius (m): 15.3 (170)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,640 (170)
Pros: Crud Performance, Versatility
Cons: Flotation, Stability at Speed
Head updated its tried-and-true Kore lineup this season, lightening everything up and tailoring the construction to be more precise for each size ski. We found the Kore 97 W to be a solid everyday pick for areas that don't see quite as much snow, and a killer spring ski for places like the Tetons, where we tested it this season. For 2023-24, Head threw in an extra carbon layer to the caruba-and-poplar core to slim the whole thing down, and added a progressive chamfer (don't worry--that was a new word for us, too), a sloping top edge that cuts chatter, allows for a more playful feel, and improves durability. Michelle Nicholson, who skis at Wyoming's Grand Targhee Resort, noted that the Kore 97 W "held an edge well and stayed predictable and consistent in both fresh powder and firm conditions." "It's ideal for someone who prefers a more traditional alpine ski and wants something that will really hold an edge and plow through crud," Krass agreed.
Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.
Best For Spring Missions: K2 Wayback 98 W ($900)
Lengths (cm): 151, 158, 165, 172
Dimensions (mm): 126-98-114
Radius (m): 18.3 (165)
Weight (per ski in grams): 1,260 (165)
Pros: Quickness/Maneuverability, Responsiveness
Cons: Stability at Speed, Playfulness
The all-new Wayback 98 W is quick and responsive, a lightweight and trustworthy tool to access terrain deep in the backcountry. Alongside the lively paulownia core and unidirectional carbon-fiber layup, K2's Ti Spyne technology utilizes a touring-specific Titanal laminate at the center of the ski to increase predictability and damping, which testers appreciated while skiing variable spring snow. "This ski does really well in tight terrain, weaves well through trees, and holds up well on firm snow," said Krass. "I'd definitely trust it in a tight chute where I need to have confidence in my edge grip, and the low swing weight also makes it easy to initiate a turn." It may not be a quiver killer--newer skiers might be turned off by the stiffness--but the Wayback 98 W is certainly a top contender for a lightweight spring-specific ski.
Read the full review for category scores, strengths, weaknesses, and tester feedback.
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